Free-wheel clutch and brake.



No. 688,262. Patented Dec. 3, |90I. R. W. PERRY.

FREE WHEEL CLUTCH AND BRAKE.

(Application filed Oct. 27, 1900.)

(No Mndel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 688,262. Patented Dec. 3, IQUI. R. W. PERRY.

FREE WHEEL CLUTCH AND BRAKE.

(Application led Oct. 27,'1900.)

2` Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

U TTED STATES PATENT @Fries REUBEN lV. PERRY, OF WALTI-IAM,MASSACHUSETTS.

FREE-WHEEL CLUTCH AND BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,262, dated December3, 1901. Application led October 27, 1900. Serial No. 34,590. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN W. PERRY, of Waltham, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Free-Wheel Clutches and Brakes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic clutches of the kind particularlyadapted foremployment in bicycle driving devices of the freewheelvariety,the clutch being ordinarily cornbined with a brake which is setby back-pedaling.

. The invention has for its object to improve the clutch constructionand also to provide improvements in the brake construction, as will morefully hereinafter appear.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents an end view of a hub provided with my improvedclutch. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of said hub. Fig. 3 represents asection on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a section on theline 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents an end view of a hub provided withmy improved clutch combined with an improved form of brake. Fig. 6represents a longitudinal section of one end of the hub. Fig. 7represents a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 represents aperspective view of the sprocket. Fig. 9 represents a section on an arcthrough the brake-setting device. Fig. 10 represents a perspective viewof the inner clutch member. Fig. 11 represents a perspective view of awasher employed. Figs. 12 and 13 represent, respectively, views of oneof the locking-dogs and the member which projects it into lockingposition. Fig. 14 represents a perspective view of an improved form ofclip. Fig. 15 represents another form of clip. Fig. 16 represents an endelevation of a hub and a portion of the frame, showingthe location ofthe clip. Fig. 17 represents a section on line 17 17, Fig. 1G.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all theiigures.

Referring to the drawings and for the present to Figs. 1 to 4,inclusive, 1 represents the hub of a bicycle or similar vehicle, and 2represents a sprocket-wheel mounted on said hub. The inner portion ofsaid sprocket-wheel constitutes one member of a driving-clutch, the

othermember of said clutch being represented at 3 and consisting of atoothed sleeve or collar screwed upon a threaded portion 4 of the hub 1and held against a shoulder 5 of said hub by means of a nut 6, whichscrews upon another threaded portion 7 of the hub of smaller diameterthan the threaded portion 4. The threaded portions 4 and 7 are such asare ordinarily found on bicycle-hubs, and my improvement'is adapted tobe applied to hubs which are already in use Without changing the form ofthe hub. Each of the teeth S 8 of the member 3 is formed with a slantingback 9 and an abrupt face 10. In the body of the sprocket 2 aretangentially formed a series of pockets 11 11, each of which is occupiedby a locking-dog 12, of prismatic form and triangular section. Eachpocket is provided with a wallorabutment13,which, owing to thetangential formation of the pocket, is substantially parallel to theabrupt faces 10 of the teeth 8 when said teeth are opposite the mouth ofthe pocket. The inner face of the sprocket 2 is cylindrical, exceptwhere interrupted by the pockets 11 11, and the crests of the teeth 8 Slie close to said cylindrical portion. When the sprocket 2 is stationaryand the hub 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, the dogs12 will be forced by the inclined backs of the teeth 8 bodily outwardlyinto the pockets 1l 11, as represented at the lower and left-handportions of Fig. 3. When, however, the sprocket 2 starts to rotaterelatively to the hub 1 in the direction of.

the arrow, Fig. 3, some of the dogs 12 12 will be caught between anabutment 13 and thev abrupt face 10 of one of the teeth and will therebypositively lock the sprocket 2 to the member 3.

It will be noted in Fig. 3 that the spaces between pockets 1l arenon-multiples of the spaces between teeth 8, so that when one dog is inengaging relation to a tooth the other dogs are each between twoengaging positions and at different distances from the anking teeth. Thecatch or bite of the clutch is therefore almost immediate from anyrelative position of the clutch members. When a dog is in lockingposition, one of its faces lies against an abutment 13 and another facelies against a tooth-back 9, while the corner formed between the lastsaid face and IOO the third face engages the abrupt face 10 of thetooth, thus giving an ample surface of contact to reduce wear to theminimum and prevent digging or pitting of the metal. This is due to thefact that the dogs move bodily instead of being pivoted in the pockets.Against the third face of each dog a resilientdog-projecting member 14bears. This member lies in the pocket 11 behind the dog 12 and isconfined therein by the dog, and I prefer to make it Vof some material,such as felt, which has a certain degree of resiliency sufficient toprovide the slight inward-yielding pressure Irequired to project thedogs and at the same time is absorptive, so as to be capable ofretaining a lubricant, such as oil. Itwill be observed that each of thelockingdogs is of prismatic form, having three equal fiat sides.lTherefore the operative faces and corners thereof are interchangeable, aflat side being adapted to fit the flat abutment or side 13 of thepocket and a corner being adapted to t the abrupt face 10 of the tooth-S. Therefore after the first corner is worn down the second and thirdcorners may be brought into use by shifting the position of the dog.

Figs. 5 to 1l, inclusive, illustrate the abovedescribed form of clutchcombined with a brake. 15 is a brake-disk screwed on the outer end ofthe hub 1 and serving as a nut to lock the toothed clutch member 3 inplace on the hub. 16 is a second brake disk mounted between the sprocket2 and the disk 15 and held from rotation by attachment to thebicycle-frame. The outer face of the sprocket 2 is provided with aseries of inclines 17 17, which form the bottoms of pockets in which aremounted spherical rollers 18 18, the latter operating between saidinclines and the inner face of the non-rotatable brake-disk 16. 19 is aroller-retainer mounted between the sprocket 2 and disk 16. When therider ceases pedaling, the hub and attached inner clutch member runloose within the sprocket 2, and when he gives the sprocket 2 a slightreverse rotation by backward pedaling the balls or rollers 18 will moveup the inclines 17 and force the nonrotatable disk 16, which is capableof a limited lateral movement or movement longitudinally of the wheel-hub, against the rotating disk 15, thereby tending to arrest or brake thewheel.

In Fig. 14 I have represented an improved form of clip for attaching thenon-rotatable brake member to the bicycle-frame. The non-rotatablebrake-disk 15 is provided with an arm 2l, which projects forwardlyinsideof the bicycle-frame and preferably alongside the lower fork or rear barthereof. The clip as here shown is made up of upper and lower plates 202O and a bolt 22. The plates are formed with frame-grippin g jaws 23 23,which embrace the upper and lower sides of the frame-bar when the-clipis in place, the bolt 22'lying on the inner side of said bar. The

plates are furthermore provided with lips 24 24,-which abut against thestem of the bolt and prevent the jaws from opening ont when the bolt isscrewed up, and with jaws 25 25, which project inwardly and embrace thearm 2l on the brake-disk 15. B v this construction the rear wheel can beremoved without disturbing' the clip, hence avoiding abrasion of theframe, and, it' desired, the clip can be removed or adjusted withoutremoving the wheel.

In Fig. 15 I show another form of clip for attaching the non-rotatablebrake member to the bicycle-frame. Said clip is made of a single pieceof metal bent to form two frameembracing jaws 30 30 and twoinwardly-projecting jaws 31 31, which embrace the end of the arm 21. Theclip is attached to the frame by means of the set-screw 33, screwedthrough the upper jaw and bearing against a shoe 34, which is curved tofit the framebar on which it bears.

With either form of clip shown there is a loose or slotted connectionbetween the frameclip and the arm of the non-rotatable brakedisk. Thespace between thejaws 25 25 or the jaws 31 3l constitutes a slot whichreceives the end of the arm 21. This permits the rear wheel to bewithdrawn without disturbing the clip and would also allow the arm 21 toassume slightly-different angles with respect to the clip when the endof the arm 21 is narrower than the space between the jaws of the clip.IThis is sometimes desirable in the adjustment of parts on some makes ofbicycles. l

I claim- 1. An automatic driving-clutch comprising outer and innerrelatively rotatable members,

`one being toothed and the other having one or more pockets, a prismaticlocking-dog having equal flat sides and occupying each pocket andadapted to positively lock the members together, and means foryieldingly projecting the dog into locking position.

2. An automatic driving-clutch comprising outer and inner relativelyrotatable members, one being toothed and the other having one or morepockets, a prismatic locking-dog having three equal fiat sides andoccupying each pocket and adapted to positively lock the memberstogether, and the dog-projecting device located in said pocket behindthe dog and yieldingly projecting the latter into locking position.

3. In combination with the frame and rear wheel, a brake having anon-rotatable brake member provided with an arm, and a clip fast to theframe said frame and clip having a slotted or loose connection with eachother whereby the rear wheel and brake-arm may be removed withoutdisturbing any part of the clip.

4. A clip for rear-wheel brakes comprising means for adjustableattachment to the frametube and a pair of parallel jaws adapted toembrace an arm of a brake member, means ICO IIO

being provided for insuring parallelism of l between said abutments,said locking-dogs the jaws under all degrees of adjustment.

5. A clip for rear-wheel brakes comprising two plates havingframe-bar-gripping jaws,

5 a bolt adapted to draw said plates together,

lips abutting against the bolt-stem, and jaws adapted to embrace an armof a brake member.

6. An automatic driving-clutch comprising outer and inner relativelyrotatable members xo having suitable abutments, and looking-dogs beingof prismatic form having three equal flat sides whereby the operativefaces and corners of the dogs are interchangeable.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig- I5 nature in presence of twoWitnesses.

REUBEN W. PERRY. Wfitnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BATCHELDER.

